


Don't Use a Tea Towel to Dry your Hair

by Justghostingby



Series: Strawbarrow drabbles [4]
Category: Room of Swords (Webcomic)
Genre: Kodya's birthday present is he gets one nice thing among all the angst, M/M, non-canon deleted scene from Forging a path through a mountain with a spoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27638186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justghostingby/pseuds/Justghostingby
Summary: Kodya reflects on the cage he and Gyrus are trapped inside and tries to make the most of it.Special Non-canon 'deleted' scene from Forging a Path Through a Mountain with a Spoon
Relationships: Gyrus Axelei/Kodya Karevic
Series: Strawbarrow drabbles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987075
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	Don't Use a Tea Towel to Dry your Hair

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday Kodya! For your present, you get one nice moment and a whole lot of angst! Just like every year!

“Shower’s free,” Kodya grunted as he ran a hand through his still wet hair. Gyrus gave a nod as he hurried in to their bathroom, no doubt eager to get the sweat of their training session off of him. Kodya felt a bit bad, it was already so late and this would only keep him up longer, but he squashed that down. This was for his own good.

“His own good,” Kodya repeated to himself as he collapsed on the bed, hoping it would sound more believable if he said it out loud. He turned to stare up at the little camera on the wall. That was added for Gyrus’ own good too. Kodya scowled up at the watching eye. Technically, he wasn’t even supposed to acknowledge it, but tonight it was Oli, and he tended to leave well enough alone.

Don had given Kodya a list of who was watching on what days after Gyrus had insisted his “roommate” get his room back. It was supposed to make Kodya feel better about the constant vigilance he was now subjecting himself too. It didn’t, but information was information, as Gyrus used to say. At least he’d know what day Ragan or Xinju were on watch, and could then nudge the Kid into perfect behavior as needed. 

Not that it seemed to matter. Ragan would always find something to complain about. Which would be annoying, if it didn’t put the Kid directly in danger. As it stood, the Kodya walked on egg shells every morning, worried that whatever Ragan had found wrong this time would be enough to tip the balance in Don’s mind and make him give up the farce that kept the Kid roaming free. Kodya had hoped that as more people began to notice how harmless the Kid was, both in and outside the room, Ragan would wield less influence, and he’d eventually be able to persuade Don to stop the surveillance. 

No chance of that now of course, Kodya bit his lip. Not after the truth realm had exposed how Kodya screwed up and nearly broken the carefully woven lies that Don had made clear were explicitly necessary for Gyrus to remain among them. The Kid’s quarantine and Kodya’s own temporary demotion was supposed to be the end of it, but Don placing Ragan in charge of the mission sent a message loud and clear: Don didn’t trust Kodya’s method of handling the Kid, and it was only a matter of time before he let him reset.

Like hell Kodya was going to let that happen. He rolled on his back, glaring up at the ceiling. He’d train the Kid all night, every night before he let him reset again, Ragan be damned. He’d already lost one Kid. An image of resigned purple eyes and a sheepish smile flashed across his mind’s eye. _Go easy on me next time around okay?_ Kodya set his jaw. He wouldn’t lose another one.

“I’m out...oh,” Kodya broke from his dark thoughts to see the Kid watching him, emerald hair darkened to a familiar forest green from the water. “Are you taking the bed tonight?”

“What?” Kodya sat up, inwardly cursing himself for his carelessness, he should have remembered this wasn’t his and Gyrus’ bed anymore, just the Kid’s. “No. I’ll move.”

“It’s fine!” The Kid waved a hand in a very familiar - cute - gesture as red flooded his cheeks. “You’ve been so busy with our training -” Kodya shot him a sharp look and the Kid shut his mouth. He’d told the Kid not to talk about the secret training anywhere outside the stables or the supply closet. It might be Oli tonight, but he couldn’t allow The Kid to get to comfortable. Just in case. “- I mean you do more work in the stables.” The Kid hastily amended as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Kodya sighed, the Kid was to nice for his own good, a trait he’d never seemed to grow out of in the three lifetimes Kodya had known him. Still, Kodya could use a good night’s sleep tonight, despite the image he liked to project, even he felt sore from all their training. But he didn’t want to banish Gyrus to the lonely mattress under the desk. And if he was honest, he didn’t want to sleep alone, like those horrible nights after Gyrus’ first death. “We can share,” he offered, hoping he sounded nonchalant. They’d done it before after the party, surely it wouldn’t be weird if he suggested it again. 

He ignored the way his heart still raced at the very thought. 

“O-kay!” the Kid’s oddly chipper voice was punctuated by a yawn. He clamored up onto the bed, completely ignoring the water droplets falling from his still damp hair. _Idiot,_ Kodya thought fondly, _he’ll mold the pillow._

With the flick of his wrist, Kodya pulled the towel he’d had wrapped around his own hair and surveyed it. half of it was still dry, as his hair wasn’t anywhere as long as Nephthys’ 

“Come here,” he grunted, the Kid gave him a wary smile as he cautiously moved closer, settling just a bit to far out of reach. Kodya rolled his eyes and pushed himself forward, capturing Gyrus’ green locks in the blue of the towel. “You’ll catch a cold,” he said, trying to sound annoyed to offshoot the gentle way his fingers caressed Gyrus’ head through the rough fabric. 

The Kid gave a happy sigh at the motion, fully relaxing against Kodya as he massaged the short locks. Odd really, since he’d always been a little vain about his hair and who touched it. He must really trust Kodya, and the very thought made Kodya’s heart flip. He should stop this, should push him back and keep the distance between them for both their sakes. But he was tired, and it was Oli tonight. 

“You know something?” Gyrus whispered, and Kodya gave a slight hum to show he was listening. “Underneath all those curt words and harsh training-” Gyrus’ eyes closed under Kodya’s ministrations, “-you’re a really awesome guy,” Gyrus let out a little yawn as Kodya felt the room heat twenty degrees, “I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know you. I couldn’t ask for a better roommate.” There was a smile in his voice, Kodya could hear it even if he couldn't see it. A thousand different emotions flew threw Kodya’s heart, and he pressed the towel closer to the Kid’s scalp to try and ground himself under the sudden onslaught. 

“Kodya!” The Kid yelped at the sudden grip and batted him back. Kodya pushed his head back down, pushing a towel free hand through Gyrus’ now dry hair, he indulged himself for a moment as he felt the short strands, noting how it was still as soft as he remembered. The Kid stirred beneath him and he pulled away, hiding his burning cheeks as he busied himself hanging the table over the dresser.

“Get some sleep Kid,” he ordered as he practically dove under the covers, a cowardly retreat, but a necessary one. He felt rather than heard the Kid doing the same through the movement of the sheets. With a shaking hand, he pulled the light, enveloping them both in darkness.

“Goodnight Kodya,” Gyrus whispered against the silence, and Kodya clutched the covers closer at the achingly familiar words. A part of him felt grateful that he’d gotten the side of the bed where his back was to both Gyrus and the camera that hid Oli’s watching eyes. He didn’t want anyone to see the slight smile growing on his face at his name on Gyrus’ lips.

**Author's Note:**

> In Gyrus' mind:  
> Short-haired Gyrus: Well now you've done it  
> Gyrus: Excuse me?  
> Short-haired Gyrus: You've brought about the apocalypse.  
> Gyrus: I what????  
> Short-haired Gyrus gestures to Long-haired Gyrus, who is running around the black box, squealing like a school girl  
> Long-haired Gyrus: HE TOUCHED OUR HAIR!!!!!!!!!!! 😍😆😍💘💙😍  
> Gyrus: How is he making that sound with his mouth?  
> Short-haired Gyrus: You going to ask stupid questions, or are you going to help me wrangle him so we both get some sleep tonight?


End file.
